Maya and Lucas
by starkkaug
Summary: Lucaya. One shots. Fluff af.
1. Stupid Huckleberry

Maya and Lucas had been working on a project all night at his place. Maya was resisting the urge to just close her eyes and fall asleep right then and there. She brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and sighed quietly. With her head in her hand and elbow propped up on the table, she furtively looked at Lucas.

His eyebrows was screwed in concentration; his eyes were slightly squinted; and a small frown was visible on his mouth. He bent over the computer, typing the last few sentences. His toned forearms and huge hands made the computer look tiny. This, along with the delirium tiredness brought onto Maya, made her giggle.

Lucas glanced over at her, which made her giggle even more.

He turned back to the computer with a smirk on his face, hit a few more keys, then shut it.

"Bed time," he announced as he stood up. She felt like tiny next to him. Especially since he was standing and she was sitting. He stretched his muscular arms out, making him look even more huge. _Stupid Huckleberry._ Maya looked up at him, feeling less giggly and more exhausted. She checked her phone. _2 a.m. ._

"I better get going" Maya said as she hurriedly stood up. It's not like she would get in trouble for being out this late, but she was secretly afraid of walking home this late at night. If she had told Lucas this, he would have insisted to go with her. He's such a gentleman. _Stupid Huckleberry._

Lucas grabbed her arm gently. "Maya, you're not walking home alone this late."

Maya saw it coming, but treated it like a challenge. She looked at him directly. "I can take care of myself, Hee-Haw." Her stubbornness had never faltered.

Lucas smiled. "I know you can, believe me."

He was still holding her arm; his warm hands encircled her wrist. His fingertips glided down her forearm and lightly grabbed her hand. She was distracted her for a few seconds, only focusing on what his callused hand felt like against her soft skin.

She shook her head. "I need to go." But she didn't move. _Stupid Huckleberry._

He became serious. "You're either letting me walk you home or staying here."

Maya didn't want Lucas out this late. His mom would worry and Maya knew how many crazy, dangerous people were out this time at night.

Their faces were inches apart and he was making intense eye contact. _Did he move closer?_

 _What the hell is going on?_

Maya snatched her hand away. "Ugh, fine. I'll stay. Will your mom be okay with this, though?"

He grinned. He had won that time. "Of course, I'm just being a gentleman." He winked at Maya.

She rolled her eyes. _Stupid Huckleberry._

"Now, if you'll follow me to my room, we may then change into our PJ's. You can borrow some of my clothes if you want. And I'll sleep on the couch."

Maya looked down at her jeans and shirt. It would be way too uncomfortable to sleep in, so she would definitely need his clothes. But he would give up his bed, too? She felt slightly guilty.

"Lucas I can sleep on the couch it's really no problem —"

He held up his hand in her face, making her stop talking.

"It's called chivalry. Get used to it" — he tipped an invisible cowboy hat down — "Ma'am."

She rolled her eyes but smiled in spite of herself. _Stupid Huckleberry._

He led her to his room and she sat on his bed while he dug around some drawers to find clothes for her. She took in his room and noted the Dallas Cowboys posters and the array of trophies he had managed to collect. Pretty much exactly how she had pictured it.

He turned around and timidly offered her a red t-shirt that had "Everything's bigger in Texas" printed on it and grey fleece sweatpants.

She took one look at the shirt and burst into hysterical laughter. Lucas knew this is what she would react like, so he just chuckled and rolled his eyes. After a minute of her laughing and her rolling around on the hardwood floor, Lucas rolled his eyes and threw the clothes at her, and told her he was going to change in the bathroom. "So get dressed and go to bed," he playfully ordered. He turned around and strided towards his bathroom then shut the door.

Maya knew the clothes would be huge, and she was right. The t-shirt went down to her knees and she had to roll the waistband of the pants multiple times for them to even remotely fit. She placed her jeans and shirt on his desk and decided to ask Lucas if there were any extra toothbrushes for her to use. Morning breath was not acceptable, especially if Lucas Friar would be there when she woke up.

 _Snap out of it, Maya._

"Lucas." She tapped on the bathroom door. No answer. She slowly turned the knob.

She opened the door cautiously and saw that Lucas was brushing his teeth. He had sweatpants on but no shirt. Maya's eyes widened. His tanned biceps were more visible now that there was nothing covering them, and his slight six-pack was easy to see in the well-lit bathroom. Maya gulped.

 _Being so athletic has blessed him._

"Yes?" Lucas asked, smirking at her. He was amused. He leaned against the sink, his large hand gripping the toothbrush. _Stupid Huckleberry._

"I just needed…if you have…an extra toothbrush." She took a deep breath. His back muscles flexed in the dim lighting.

"Yeah, sure, one second." He bent down and opened the cabinet beneath the sink, finding exactly what Maya wanted. He handed it to her and raised his eyebrows, smiling. She glared at him. "You're so annoying," she stated. She walked out pulling the door closed.

She heard him laugh before the door shut. Lucas went downstairs to make sure the doors were locked and the lights were off before checking on Maya.

Meanwhile, Maya brushed her teeth and slowly got into his bed. It was very comfortable, unlike her bed at home. She laid her head down. The dark green pillow case smelled like pine. For some reason, it made her sad. Lucas was always so nice to her. And she was so mean to him. How could she explain that she's rude to him because she wants to protect him from her?

 _How could a guy like Lucas ever end up with someone as broken as me?_

She curled up in a ball and wrapped her arms around her calves _._

 _I trust him. It's because of this I push him away._

Lucas stood in the doorway of his room and saw that Maya was just staring at the ceiling with a kind of distant, melancholy expression.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

He sat down at the edge of his bed and gently grabbed her leg that was under the blankets.

She smiled sadly. "You're a really good guy."

Maya looked down.

"You're going to leave. You're going to run away," she shakily murmured.

Lucas felt his heart break.

She took a deep breath.

"Maya." Lucas stared at her. She kept her head lowered. He shook her leg.

"Maya, look at me." She slowly raised her eyes and met his. A tear fell from her blue eye. "I'll _always_ be here."

He rarely saw her show her vulnerable side. _She trusts me._ He felt his eyes water.

 _"_ Maya, listen to me. _Always._ "

He climbed under the covers and put an arm around her. She slowly leaned into him, allowing herself to savor the warmth his embrace brought. _Vulnerability is scary. But trusting someone to see your vulnerability is even scarier._

" _Please_ don't go anywhere," she whispered.

Lucas gently kissed her forehead. "I'm right here."

 _Ugh. Stupid Huckleberry._


	2. Daddy Issues

She had sprinted home once her dad had left Topanga's. She had needed to get away from everyone -her mom, Riley, Lucas, Cory- because she felt herself falling apart. She had held it together so long, always obstructing herself from having any weak moments.

 _Until now._

The lump in her throat was growing and her breathing was rapid. Her feet were pounding on the concrete sidewalk.

 _Almost there_. She threw open her apartment door.

Tears rolled down her mascara-stained cheeks and she wrapped both of her arms around her, sinking down to the hardwood floor and holding her head in her trembling hands. She frustratingly screamed, louder than she every had.

Curling up in a ball, Maya replayed the last hour in her mind. Her dad had made it perfectly clear: he didn't care about her.

Not now, and not ever.

She didn't regret writing the letter to him, but his rejection hurt. A lot.

He had basically said he had never cared for her. His words floated through her head. She felt bad for her mom, and especially bad for herself. They hadn't done anything wrong.

But of course, that never stopped him from leaving and it didn't seem to bother him now.

Violent sobs racked Maya's body. She was crying harder than she ever had.

All of the pain and anger she had endured from her nonexistent father came crashing down on her. She had been so good at brushing her emotions off and hiding her true feelings from everyone…herself included.

The hidden grief of losing her father (not that she had ever really had him), and barely having a mother, overwhelmed her at this moment.

The tears fell freely. For a few minutes, she let it happen.

But then, she stopped herself. It was rare enough that she was experiencing such strong emotions, but it was extremely rare that she was showing herself such intense pity. Within a few minutes she was calming down. She ran a hand through her hair, sniffling loudly and trying to steady her breathing. She was glad no one was there to witness her in such an incredibly vulnerable state.

Wiping her hand across her damp cheek, she slowly stood straight and decided to clean herself up. _That will make me feel better._

Maya ran cold water over a paper towel and gently wiped her face. She closed her eyes once the cold touched her face.

Then, she heard the door open. Her stomach lurched. She didn't want to see anyone - especially her mom.

She didn't want to deal with her feelings and start crying again.

Maya cautiously moved towards the unknown visitor and peeked out from behind the kitchen doorway.

"Maya?"

The familiar, deep voice reverberated throughout the apartment and made Maya's stomach flip. _Lucas._

He turned around and his green eyes met with her blue ones. Her lips were slightly parted in shock. He looked so concerned. Maya felt another lump in her throat. She also noted something else in his expression.

 _Anger?_

They looked at each other for a few seconds. His silence was deafening. Maya took a deep breath and shuddered. He just stared at her.

It made her uneasy.

Maya hated that he knew something was wrong.

"I'm fine," she quietly said after a little. She sniffled. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Really." He sounded completely unconvinced.

"Yep." She raised her voiced so he would leave it alone.

 _He won't,_ she knew.

He suddenly walked quickly towards her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her body against his.

She tried to push him away but he held her tighter.

"Lucas, I'm fine." Her voice was louder, more desperate.

He still held her.

"Let me go!" I AM FINE."

She tried to shove him away again.

His muscular arms engulfed her in warmth. "I'm so sorry, Maya." He whispered.

She hesitated.

 _Here they come._

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

She abruptly wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head in his chest.

 _Goddamnit, Lucas_

They stayed like that for a while.

After what seemed like forever, she slowly broke apart from him. He touched her cheek softly and she closed her eyes.

Lucas gently pulled her into him again. His large hand was lightly rubbing the back of her shoulder and the other hand was holding her head close to his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and could smell his cologne. She shakily took a deep breath then exhaled.

 _Pull it together, Maya._

Lucas had never seen her this vulnerable before. It scared her.

She stepped away from him (and his newly dampened shirt) and looked up at him. "Why did you come?"

His eyes darkened and he stepped towards her. Maya looked down. "I can't believe he treated you like that. You don't deserve it." She glanced up at his intense gaze but quickly looked back down.

He continued. "It kills me to see you like this, and it hurts me even more to think that I can't do anything to help you." His voice cracked, and Maya looked at him. "It makes me so angry. _He_ makes me so angry." Lucas clenched his fists and his jaw twitched.

"He hurt you. And I can't stand seeing you in pain." He angrily sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the frustration plainly visible on his face while he paced around the room.

Maya walked over to him and lightly grabbed his forearm. "It's not worth getting angry over, okay? I'm fine." _Lie._

He shook his head. "No, Maya, you're not fine." He took her small hand in his.

She looked at their hands entwined together. He knew her. He understood her. He cared about her. And then, she broke.

"You're right," she mumbled. "I'm not."

She looked into his eyes and smiled softly. "It feels good to finally admit that."

He smiled back at her, draping his arm over her shoulder. She leaned into him and rested her head on him.

"You're so annoying, Huckleberry."

Lucas laughed and kissed her head, mumbling "I love you too" into her ear.


	3. Don't You Know Me By Now?

The music blared from the speakers as Maya pushed her way through the mass of bodies, trying to find Lucas. Everyone was sweating and it smelled awful.

 _Gross._ Maya wrinkled her nose.

They were there because Riley had begged them to go. Some guy in their class was hosting, and the boy Riley liked was here. Honestly, Maya wasn't much of a partier. Neither was Lucas. Or Farkle. Or Riley.

 _Especially Riley._ Maya smiled. When they had arrived, Riley had grabbed Farkle's arm and shoved her way through the crowd to find her crush. Maya had told Riley earlier to talk to Wesley alone, though it scared Riley a lot. Riley had promised she would. But she ran away with Farkle before Maya could intervene.

 _Very clever, Riles._

Then Lucas had said he was going to get drinks and disappeared. And now Maya was trying to navigate her way through the crowd to find him.

 _I should have just stayed with him._ It was almost impossible to see; there was barely any lighting.

Across the room she spotted Riley talking to Wesley, her crush. Riley was laughing and playfully swatted him on the arm. Maya smiled and rolled her eyes. Riley could be such a dork. But she was Maya's dork and Maya loved her.

After making a few laps around the house, Maya decided to just stay in one spot so she could spot Lucas.

 _Where are you, Huckleberry?_

It's not that she needed to be with him to have fun, but she wasn't really friends with most of the people here. A lot of them were upperclassmen. And she didn't want to intrude on Riley and Wesley.

So she stood alone and watched the party unfold.

A few minutes later a group of obnoxiously loud senior guys came crashing through the doorway. Maya could smell the alcohol wafting off of them even though she was standing at the other side of the room.

 _Awesome._

Maya decided to just go to a different room so she wouldn't have to deal with them. _And it's so fucking hot._ The windows were fogging up from all of the excess body heat. _Nasty._

As she was slowly making her way through the crowd, some guy blocked her path. "Hey, I think I recognize you from school." He slurred, swaying.

The only people invited here all went to the same high school.

 _Genius._

"Yeah, I'm a sophomore." She replied. He leaned in and Maya could smell his breath. It smelled like cheap beer.

"Are you alone?" He pressed. He kept leaning in, getting closer and closer.

Maya started to feel anxious. "Uhhh." The guy was waiting for her to answer. "I have to go, I see my friend," she lied.

"Wait, let's hang out." He grabbed her arm. "Commmeee onnnn, we can go somewhere quieter." He smirked.

She started to feel panicky. And angry. "Get off!" She tried to remove her arm from his grasp but he held on. "Whoa, calm down! I just want to talk. Pleasseee." He pulled her a little more forcefully.

Maya struggled to get away. His grip was too strong. _Who is this guy, the fucking Hulk?_

And then suddenly someone shoved the guy away from her and her arm was free.

 _Lucas._ She had never been happier to see anyone in her life.

The guy almost tripped after Lucas had pushed him. He looked scared. And Lucas looked pissed. _Really pissed._ His jaw was clenched and he was pointing towards the doorway, yelling something Maya couldn't hear and looking very angry. The guy put his hands up and backed away, albeit very clumsily since he was so drunk. _Smart._ Lucas was a lot bigger than him.

Lucas turned around and looked at Maya, his eyes instantly softening. He strided towards her and gently grabbed her hand then leaned down to reach her ear. His cheek brushed against her hair. "Are you okay?"

Maya paused.

 _Not really._

She had been afraid. And she had felt helpless. She hated herself for it.

"Umm." She responded, not looking at him. He stared at her for a few seconds then abruptly grabbed her hand and started pushing his way through the crowd. This surprised her, but she quickly held onto him; she had no desire to get separated from him again. They reached the front door and walked outside. It felt good to get air, especially since it was so hot in the house. "Let's walk," he said quietly. It sounded like he had kind of lost his voice. His voice was all raspy.

 _Probably from yelling at that pervert._ This made Maya feel worse. _Why couldn't I just handle it myself?_

They walked in silence for a few seconds, and then he stopped. He clasped his long fingers around her wrist to keep her from walking ahead. "What's up?" His green eyes met hers and she almost melted. He looked so concerned.

She glanced away and then met his eyes again. "I just…" She sighed. "I didn't like feeling helpless. Or like I can't take care of myself." She thought about the incident again and felt her face redden in anger, then started walking away. Of course, he followed her immediately. "Hey hey hey," Lucas uttered gently. He was a few steps behind her and she whipped around.

"Honestly he just scared me. I'm usually not one to back down from a fight."

Lucas smiled. "No, you're not." His face became serious. "But Maya…" He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "He was a drunk upperclassman. He could have hurt you." She glimpsed at the concrete sidewalk.

 _Ugh._

"Look at me, Maya." She slowly moved her head up. His eyes were warm and comforting. So familiar.

He moved his face closer to hers as he held onto her forearms. "You are the strongest person I know. I know he scared you, and you hate not feeling in control. I stepped in because I knew you needed me. And I'm not just gonna stand by and watch you get hurt. You wouldn't let anyone hurt me, or Farkle, or Riley; you would lose it the moment someone tried to lay a finger on us, or say anything mean. So why can't I, or anyone else, fight some of your battles for you?"

Maya started to feel a little better. "I mean, I guess it's just because I've been taking care of myself for so long so it feels wrong to rely on other people." Lucas tilted his head.

"That makes sense. Look, I know you're stubborn. But you need to understand that I'm always gonna be there to help you, whether you like it or not." He crinkled his green eyes and smirked.

She smiled. _Why is he so damn cute?!_

"Ugh. You're so annoying." She laughingly replied, playfully shoving him.

He smiled. "Do you feel okay to go back and get Riley and Farkle?"

"Yeah. Let's go. I'm starving." He put his arm around her and she wrapped hers around his waist, grabbing his hand resting on her shoulder.

When they reached the front door she stopped him.

He looked back at her questioningly.

She paused, then bit her lip, smiling slightly. He raised his eyebrows.

"Thank you, Hee-Haw.

He rolled his eyes, but still smiled back. "You couldn't leave one of my degrading nicknames out of it?"

She giggled. "Come on, Huckleberry. Of course I can't. Don't you know me by now?"


	4. This Boy Is Killing Me

Maya was physically incapable of keeping her eyes open. It had been hours. Cans of Red Bull littered the floor next to the many sheets of paper. They were studying for their math final. Riley was splayed on her bed and she was sound asleep. Farkle was next to her on the floor, his head on a pillow; he was asleep too. Lucas was sitting across from Maya on the bay window, struggling to keep his eyes open as well. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and sighed. He glanced up at her. She smiled weakly.

"I think I'm burnt out." He whispered, closing his book.

Maya stretched her arms above her head. "I know but…" She paused. Guilt flooded Maya's veins. _But I need a good grade on this. Or I'm screwed._ She bit her lip. If she got anything lower than a B+ she would get a C in math. She could not afford to get another C.

Lucas seemed to read her mind. "Maya, you have to go to bed."

 _I can't._ "Lucas, you don't even have to study. You have an A." She looked down. It was hard for her not to get jealous of Riley, Lucas, and especially Farkle. They all had great grades. And Maya…well…that was a different story.

"Come on." Lucas held out his hand as he stood up.

Maya looked at him. "I'll be a few more minutes, okay?" She moved her head back down to study more.

"Fine. But I'll be back if you take too long." He turned and started to head downstairs to take the couch. This had been the one condition Cory had established if the boys slept over: no sharing rooms with the girls. By boys he meant Lucas, not Farkle.

Another half hour passed. Maya didn't think she would remember how to do a majority of the problems; there was so much information to process. She put her head in her hands and curled her legs under her. _How am I going to pass this? I suck at math._

She sighed deeply.

 _Stop being so negative. Confidence is key._

She was at war with herself. It was hard for her to have faith in her abilities because she never seemed to succeed in math no matter how much she studied. It pissed her off. She slammed the book shut, then realized she had forgotten that Riley and Farkle were asleep. But they didn't budge. Maya heard the door creak and looked over. Lucas was back.

"I know, I know. I'm done." Maya stood up and yawned. She was sleeping in Riley's bed but had left her stuff downstairs. Lucas stepped out of the way so Maya could get through the door, and followed her as they crept downstairs so they wouldn't disturb Cory, Topanga, and August. As she picked up her bag she fought back the urge to punch something. She knew she was going to fail.

 _All of the hours I spent studying were a waste._

She started to walk back towards the staircase, trying not to let her anger show, but Lucas grabbed her forearm and stopped her before she could reach it. He stared at her.

"What?" She snapped, not even trying to keep her voice down.

"What's wrong?" He whispered gently.

She shook her head and met his gaze, then looked away. His green eyes always made her give in. He was always able to see past her bullshit. And in that moment this made her even angrier.

 _Why can't he just leave me alone?!_

"Nothing!" She replied. She met his eyes again and glared.

He shook his head. "Stop lying." His voice was raised a little higher. "Just tell me. I'm not gonna let you upstairs until you do." He let go of her arm and moved in front of the stairwell with a determined look on his face.

 _WHY DOES HE DO THIS TO ME?!_

They glared at each other.

Maya stepped forward and moved her face closer to his. "Move!" She demanded. He just stared.

"FINE. I'll just sleep down here!" She walked over to the couch and plopped down. She heard Lucas's heavy footsteps coming towards her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, resting her head on the soft cushion.

He sat down. "Maya."

She refused to look at him. She was tired and sick of being so angry all of the time.

Lucas repeated her name then sighed when she didn't look at him.

"Stop pushing me away." He said softly.

Her breath hitched in her throat. _He sees right through me. GODDAMN THIS BOY!_

She decided to just give in at that point. She was too tired to keep going. "Ok fine. I'm upset because I'm sick of being a screw-up, I'm sick of being mad all of the time, and I'm sick of you being so nice to me." _Where did that come from?_

He looked at the ground for a few seconds, then looked back at her. He looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. "First of all, you're not a screw-up."

She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her. "You're not, Maya. You're incredible." Maya looked at her hands.

 _STOP BEING SO SWEET._

"Second of all, you have every right to be angry. You've dealt with a lot in your life, and it's a natural response. So don't beat yourself up over it."

Maya continued to look down. He always knew what to say.

 _WHY IS HE SO PERFECT?_

"And lastly, I'm nice to you because I could never, ever hurt you." He smiled.

Maya looked up at him. "But whenever I'm mean to you, you never are mean back. You're just always so patient."

"Yeah." Lucas said softly. "Because I care about you."

 _THIS BOY IS KILLING ME._

"But what if I fail the final?" She asked.

"You won't. He responded. "Trust me. I mean, you're Maya Hart. You can do anything."

She stared at him for a few seconds then smiled. "How come you always know what to say?"

He smiled back. "I just tell the truth."

 _KILLING ME._

Lucas yawned loudly, then said, "Come on, you have to sleep." He stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it and he hoisted her off of the couch. Their hands were still intertwined. She was a few inches from his face, so she stood on her tippy-toes and kissed his cheek. He smirked as a response, causing Maya to roll her eyes and let go of his hand.

"What?" She asked, half-laughing.

"Nothing. It's just that you rarely show affection." He chuckled as she swatted his arm then grabbed her bag off of the floor.

"You're so annoying." She said to him. "I'll see you in the morning?" She asked backing away towards the stairs.

"Yep. But hey — no more studying." He said with a stern voice.

She snorted. "You don't have to convince me. I'm exhausted." She turned her back and started walking up the steps, but paused and looked back at Lucas.

 _I care about you too, Cowboy._

She continued making her way up the stairs.


	5. REQUESTS OPEN

Hey guys! I just want to say thank you SO SO SO much for following/reviewing/favoriting! It means so much to me!

I also wanted to ask if you guys have any requests/prompts you would like me to write? Just let me know by messaging me or commenting what you would like. Thanks :)


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